Footwear - Leather - PPE Industry News & Articles

Legal battles can be very drawn-out affairs, so the reptile exotic leather lobby globally is very relieved that a landmark victory in March this year in California, in a case between the states of Louisiana and California, “is all wrapped up and done, and there are NO APPEALS IN COURT! 🎉”, wrote Christy Plott, director of A ...more

Bronkhorstspruit, Mpumalanga, SA – African Merino is affected by the problem in Ukraine, of course, as is every other business and person on the planet.We have not exported skins for many years and have shrunk to the size of a small business with annual production of less than 15 000 skins and staff less than 10 people.We lost our e ...more

We have received the following communication from the organizers of the forthcoming IULTCS Congress in Chengdu.The Organizing Committee of the 37th International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS) Congress is announcing, with sincere consideration, the cancellation of the virtual portal of the IULTCS Congress i ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (31 August 2023) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (131 497 293)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.95Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (30 425 744)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.92ExportsMonth % of total 0.20Cumulative 2022 (R'm) 2 303 0 ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – In the grand scheme of things, PVC faces an existential threat from a global environmental lobby which seeks to ban it altogether, or restrict its use.The rationales relate to threats to human health and environmental harm caused by toxic ingredients in PVC and other plastics, and PVC and polystyrene are ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – As an importer and retailer, Hassan Adam has a long history in footwear, and there’s not much he doesn’t know about the shoe business. But as a new manufacturer, he’s had to pay lots of school fees this past couple of years.Which is why he’s set out to create his own business model.At the st ...more

In the fast-paced footwear industry, trends rise and fall with each season, presenting opportunities for a lasting impact that can be game-changing. Birkenstock, renowned for its sandals, unexpectedly found itself in the spotlight. Recent media reports state that data from 3DLOOK, a virtual fitting room company, unveiled a remarkable 340% ...more

In a tragic turn of events, Laura Ann Carleton, a California store owner, was fatally shot amidst a dispute concerning an LGBTQ+ Pride flag displayed outside her shop. According to The Guardian, Carleton, aged 66, lost her life after a confrontation at her clothing store on August 18, 2023.During the altercation, a male suspect repor ...more

Some photos from the recent KZN Industrial Technology Exhibition that was held from 18-20 July 2023 in Durban, KZN, South Africa ...more

The pre-race Comrades Expo is growing again. Mr Price Sport was the major sponsor and the biggest footwear exhibitor. The only running shoe exhibitor was Hoka distributor Ikhambi. The DTIC sponsored a pavilion which included 2 non-athletic shoe manufacturers. ...more

Export via chain retailers, export via brands, export via fairs – all roads that lead to export growth are worth exploring. ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (31 July 2023) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (6 697 973 758)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.22Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (1 372 239 254)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.16ExportsMonth % of total 0.16Cumulative 2022 (R'm) 1&nb ...more

Main tannery, leather goods factory in EthiopiaYeovil, Somerset, UK – Vertically integrated leather and leather goods manufacturer Pittards, which has operations in the UK and Ethiopia, has “filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators” according to a report on the BBC on 14 August.It said Pittards was seeking a ...more

Oudtshoorn, W. Cape, SA – The link between farm and tannery seems much closer in SA’s ostrich industry than it does with bovine leather, so SA Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) CEO Piet Kleyn was speaking from the heart when he said this month that “the best news we have is that we’ve had some wonderful rain in the ...more

Regenerative farming practices are an exciting development for the future. Global food was a $1.98 trillion business in the last year, according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). Humans spend a lot of money on it and will continue to do so for obvious reasons. ...more

The XXXVII IULTCS Congress Organizing Committee is extremely pleased to announce that Professor Yujia Xu will be the Heidemann Lecture Presenter at the XXXVII IULTCS Congress.The Heidemann Lecture is a keynote presentation that is held in memory of Professor Dr. Eckhardt Heidemann (1925-1999). He made significant practical contributions t ...more

Let me stick to the subject of sustainability, which by now is the magic word in every industry. So, everything that you produce must be ‘sustainable’, whatever that means, otherwise the big brands and distribution chains, famous shops, etc., will not buy your products anymore. Since sustainability is interpreted as an environ ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Overall we’re not unhappy. June and July were quiet, but the orders have since come in. We’re not at capacity, but we will be working a 6-day week until the end of the year.The school shoe market is good, fashion is more variable, but quite good.There is still the age-old problem of payments &nda ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – It’s a difficult position to be in selling imported leathers now as the landed prices from overseas are really expensive compared to local prices. The exchange rate is not helping at all.Clients are also struggling in getting orders from retailers who are always looking for cheaper prices.Basically, it's a st ...more

In response to the report in the July issue on the SA Section of the SLTC, the parent body encourages southern African members to continue engaging with the society, and outlines changes which will make it easier to do so. ...more